Links to make you think
The Carbon Map
A great App developed for the World Bank's "Apps for Climate" competition by Duncan Clark and Robin Houston, the software display a wide range of climate data as cartograms - maps that distort to reflect datasets, including consumption, extraction of carbon, historic, present day carbon emissions, emissions per capita, population and levels of risk from climate change. It's a really powerful tool that offers a graphic guide to carbon, where it comes from and what it does.
to see the interactive map in action visit www.carbonmap.com
Tar Sand Nation
A moving and emotional TED talk from renowned conservation photographer Garth Lenz - showing images of the Canadian Borial and Temperate (rain) forests. At times Lenz almost breaks down as he reveals the extent of the destruction caused by Tar Sand extraction and their terrible impacts on the people and wildlife living downstream of the vast reservoirs of toxic water the process creates.
more BGB tar sand links
Climate change in technicolour
A pictorial compliment to BGB's "2011 Climate Change in Perspective". Forbes article by Dr. Peter H. Gleick, CEO of the Pacific Institute and an internationally recognized climate and water expert. 2011, Climate change in pictures and data: just the facts, is a very visual and chilling set of graphs showing trends in key indicators including CO2 levels, warming trends, sea ice decline.
Carbon Nation
Trailer for a USA made documentary film about low carbon economies - even if you don't care about climate change.
With quotes like "this is no longer the purview of Birkenstock wearing tree huggers" this film looks at the realities of low carbon technology. It gives the views of a group ranging from US army Colonels to Hillbilly climate deniers talking about the reasons why we need a low carbon economy and that it's a massive business opportunity. To quote one low carbon entrepreneur interviewed "you don't have to give a damn about the environment - do it because you're a greedy bastard"
Amazing research into nanomaterials could unlock Solar breakthrough
TED Talk By Justin Hall Tipping about about applications being developed from cutting edge research
Home - take a look - while it lasts
Trailer for the film "Home" (1 hour 33 mins) - fabulous aerial footage of the earth across 54 countries with a hard hitting message about how close to the edge we are taking the planet's eco-systems
Denial Tango
Hilarious Australian Band "Men with Day Jobs" expose the idiocy and idiots of Climate Change Denial in one short song.
Written & performed 2011 by Sydney group Men With Day Jobs: Kim Constable (bass), Rod Crundwell (piano), Stafford Sanders (guitar). Note: Tony Abbott is Australia's denialist Opposition Leader.
contacts:
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www.backpocketrecords.com
How Much A Barrel??
Great article by Susan Kramer in CleanTechnica discussing the start up costs of oil – which was selling at $20 a barrel in 1898 – the equivalent today of $500 a barrel. Kramer makes the point that all new technology is expensive at start up - and that the price of oil in real terms fell right up to the 1970's. By comparison, the costs of renewables have fallen dramatically - with both wind and solar reaching grid parity in some places.
She also argues this is a strong reason why renewables should be supported – because fossil fuels don't account for the costs of pollution they flood the market with unrealistically low priced energy – distorting natural market forces.
Attack of the Climate Zombies
Climate Progress is a shining beacon in the dark and desperate world of Washington's institutionalised denial of climate issues. Spearheaded by Joe Romm they provide a prolific , well researched and referenced blog on climate related issues - covering subjects as diverse as research, politics, technology - and occasionally humour .
"Study: Climate Zombies Threaten “Collapse of Society"” takes a Halloween look at the mindless stupidity of Washington's political elites and concludes it can only be the result of a Zombie infestation!
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The Ethics of Energy
If Brazil Has to Guard Its Rainforest, Why Does Canada/U.S. Get to Burn Its Tar Sands?"
Exploiting Canada's tar sands is probably the most disastrous act of selfish stupidity ever perpetrated by a nation - yet, in a classic case of "do as we say not as we do", the USA expects developing countries to protect their environmental resources while it develops a dirty dangerous fuel resource to allow its own profligate use of energy to continue unabated. Bill MacKibben, writing in the Huffington Post questions the morality of the the US position.
